Recent revelations of FBI surveillance of Occupy Wall Street activists are reminiscent of the rampant government surveillance of 60s era American activists, particularly members of the Black Panther Party. The Black Panther Party was one of the most iconic and militant left organizations in the United States and many former members have, since then written memoirs of their experiences.

Now, a new book by former Seattle Black Panther Aaron Dixon tells the unique story of his years as a Captain in the Black Panther Party’s Seattle chapter. Dixon was only 19 years old when he founded the Seattle chapter of the Black Panther Party. His beautifully written memoir captures what life was like for a young black man growing up in the revolutionary era of the late 1960s.

Starting with his own family which was borne of the slave history of the South, we accompany Dixon in his memoir as he matures from a shy young boy to a powerful community leader and revolutionary. Inspired by the work of Bobby Seale and Stokely Carmichael, Aaron Dixon takes us on a journey that in many ways captures the essence of one of the most tumultuous times in American history.

Black Panther Party co-founder Bobby Seale has called Dixon’s book “a must-read; The dramatic life cycle rise of a youthful sixties political revolutionary.”

GUEST: Aaron Dixon is author of “My People are Rising: Memoir of a Black Panther Party Captain” – he is also the founder of Central House, a nonprofit that provides transitional housing for youth, and was one of the cofounders of the Cannon House, a senior assisted-living facility. Aaron ran for US Senate on the Green Party ticket in 2006.